I remember in the '70's there were only two places left in America where you could actually homestead (occupy land, improve by some specific amount per year ($3000) and after 5 years, you go title to the land. One place was Alaska. there were designated, uninhabited spots that allowed you to claim up to 100 acres.

The other place was Detroit, where there were designated, uninhabited spots that allowed you to claim an unoccupied, boarded up house. If you stayed in it for 5 years and made $2000/year in improvements, it was yours.

I remember in the '70's there were only two places left in America where you could actually homestead (occupy land, improve by some specific amount per year ($3000) and after 5 years, you go title to the land. One place was Alaska. there were designated, uninhabited spots that allowed you to claim up to 100 acres.

The other place was Detroit, where there were designated, uninhabited spots that allowed you to claim an unoccupied, boarded up house. If you stayed in it for 5 years and made $2000/year in improvements, it was yours.

Indeed, I believe those are known as 'Squatters rights'. Pretty sure those are still around actually.

And whats funny, is I would actually struggle with the decision of where to live ... Alaska or Detroit ... hmmm that IS a toughy. Haha

"That was Nasty right? Cocked that Joint back and banged on 'em." -James Johnson

To play devil's advocate, he did say "in the Eastern Conference". I think it's fair to say that Toronto could very well be perceived by players/agents/media/average Americans as one of the least desirable cities in the EC.

"Glamorous cities" could refer to both the allure of the city itself (rightfully or wrongfully) and/or the history/tradition of the city as a basketball town. The EC boasts some of the most well known and significant cities in the US, even if they're technically smaller, truly less "glamorous" or have a less engaged fanbase than Toronto. I'm not surprised at Toronto being lumped into the bottom third of "glamorous" cities in the EC:

Atlanta is basically black guy heaven. I lived there for 7 years so I'm not just talking out my ass. Lots of pro athletes have homes in Atlanta. Tons of big name rappers come out of Atlanta are hanging out at all the clubs. Trust me, most NBA players would love living in Atlanta, it's just that they haven't been too keen on how crap the Hawks were. You can already see the effect in Lou Williams taking a smaller salary to play in ATL.

Ya I'm not sure whats Glamorous about the Wizards, besides I guess playing with John Wall .. DC is an absolute SH*T HOLE. Big market in terms of population, but I'm not sure players care about that. DC is not really a sports media destination, and that's the big ticket for NY, Brooklyn, Miami, Boston and Chicago.

I'd argue that Philly would have a certain draw and appeal to it, and Atlanta is a pretty big Media hub and has been consistently successful the last several years as well. Just having a good program can make a city glamorous to a player. Not to mention the Georgia Sunshine!

Last edited by Joey; Thu May 9th, 2013 at 04:06 PM.

"That was Nasty right? Cocked that Joint back and banged on 'em." -James Johnson

Atlanta is basically black guy heaven. I lived there for 7 years so I'm not just talking out my ass. Lots of pro athletes have homes in Atlanta. Tons of big name rappers come out of Atlanta are hanging out at all the clubs. Trust me, most NBA players would love living in Atlanta, it's just that they haven't been too keen on how crap the Hawks were. You can already see the effect in Lou Williams taking a smaller salary to play in ATL.

I have noticed this but I wasn't sure yet.

Just curious, could you explain why? other than the factor of "white flight" of course.

Ya I'm not sure whats Glamorous about the Wizards, besides I guess playing with John Wall .. DC is an absolute SH*T HOLE. Big market in terms of population, but I'm not sure players care about that. DC is not really a sports media destination, and that's the big ticket for NY, Brooklyn, Miami, Boston and Chicago.

I'd argue that Philly would have a certain draw and appeal to it, and Atlanta is a pretty big Media hub and has been consistently successful the last several years as well. Just having a good program can make a city glamorous to a player. Not to mention the Georgia Sunshine!

Well I've heard otherwise of the latter two... but I'd prefer not to go into detail or I might offend some folk

Atlanta is basically black guy heaven. I lived there for 7 years so I'm not just talking out my ass. Lots of pro athletes have homes in Atlanta. Tons of big name rappers come out of Atlanta are hanging out at all the clubs. Trust me, most NBA players would love living in Atlanta, it's just that they haven't been too keen on how crap the Hawks were. You can already see the effect in Lou Williams taking a smaller salary to play in ATL.

Instead of taking a long time and writing it myself, I found this article that sums up all of the stuff I've heard over the years. Especially point number 4, to this you can see why the Hawks' fanbase is one of the worst in the league

I also think Philadelphia and Atlanta would be pretty popular among athletes/media, while also being big, established markets (why Atlanta is such a poor basketball draw is beyond me, considering how well they do with football, baseball and nascar).

Washington (US capital), Detroit (mo-town) and Orlando (good weather, well known) are all borderline picks for me, but I think they'd still rank ahead of a non-US city for most Americans. You could probably throw Cleveland into this group as a mid-range group of Eastern Conference cities, between the top-7 and bottom-4 (Toronto, Indiana, Milwaukee and Charlotte).

Remember, I was playing devil's advocate to Matt's post, looking at it from an American perspective (mix of pro athlete, media and average American perspectives). Perception is subjective and isn't always "right"... although our perception is equally subjective, of course!

Lots of people live in Atlanta, not a lot of people are from there. Initially the affluence in the black community there was tied to Coca Cola. Atlanta is also where you can find the first traditional black universities. So it became a hub where intelligent affluent black people could get educated and find good jobs...but it is a hub. Since no one is from there no one has any investment in any of the teams. The Falcons are one thing but the Braves only draw for big games and when they're on a run to the playoffs...NASCAR is a traveling circus-- fans follow them wherever they go.

DC is not a pleasant place to live. Lots of poverty. Some good places in Virginia, etc., but you're talking about primarily government workers and people with ties to politics. Those are the type of people who only go to events if someone else is footing the bill.

Philly is an interesting one. Toronto is a "better" city but you will not find a more sports savvy fanbase in the US from my experience.

Detroit? No. Just no. I have a lot of dear friends who live there, or used to live there and yet I cannot vouch for the city. For me? It's a good spot. For a multi-millionaire athlete? There's nothing there. Seriously. No glamour. What Detroit has is history and in a league where only a handful of teams have ever won titles history matters.

Toronto has a fanbase that supports its teams, a reasonably sized black middle class/affluent community, and tons of media. The problem is convincing players that being a star in Canada and not in the US is a viable option. That's why I'm excited about the Leiweke deal. This is a savvy guy who can sell athletes on being a superstar for a whole country. If a star candidate like Jackson joins him that only increases the legitimacy to that idea.

Colangelo's Fate to be Decided Before Chicago Pre Draft Camp

The Raptors, according to sources close to the situation, continue to pursue Jackson and continue to believe they have a shot to lure him to Canada as team president because of Jackson's longstanding relationship with new Toronto pro sports impresario Tim Leiweke.

The Raps, though, still have yet to announce a decision on the fate of current team president Bryan Colangelo after Colangelo made a presentation to the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment board Tuesday to urge his bosses to pick up the 2013-14 option on his contract. One source briefed on the process expects Colangelo's fate to be formally announced this week in advance of the annual Chicago pre-draft camp.